


Chances Look Good On Us

by TrickstersBlessing (Rinielle)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Post Episode 72
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 01:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20074012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinielle/pseuds/TrickstersBlessing
Summary: After losing his own brand of magic, Caleb offers to teach Fjord a little of his.





	Chances Look Good On Us

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally part of a different fic that I'm unlikely ever to post, but I always really liked this scene, and the idea of Caleb offering to teach Fjord magic has always been a favourite of mine, and seemed particularly appropriate given recent developments.

Fjord had expected a knock at the door that evening, though honestly he couldn’t have told you who he’d expected it to be. He had just assumed someone would come. To check on him, under the guise of something else. He’d asked for a room to himself and nobody had wanted to contradict him at the time, he knew, they didn’t want to have to explain to him why he, of all people, shouldn’t be alone.

It wasn’t so much a surprise that it was Caleb, but if you had asked him, he might have said he almost everyone else before guessing at him.

“Evening,” he said.

Silence.

This seemed to be something of a pattern with Caleb. He’d seek you out to talk to you and then just, not say anything for a while. Fjord huffed, leaning against the door frame.

“Did you uh… need something?”

Caleb jumped, as if startled. He did that a lot too. One day Fjord was going to figure him out, little quirks and all. 

“I was wondering.” he said, slowly, “I do not know if you would be interested at all but. It might pass the time.”

“Caleb…”

“I know that Caduceus has his own ideas about where you might be headed now, and that you will soon have a very fine sword in your possession but… after all it does not hurt to have a few extra tricks up your sleeve and I thought perhaps...”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but then he didn’t need to. Clutched under one arm was a bundle of papers and two ink bottles, under the other was his very own spellbook. 

The idea had been on Fjord’s mind for a while. Ever since meeting Avantika, and realising just how dangerous Uk’otoa might really be, and how fanatical were its followers. After running far and fast with the final cloven crystal, leaving Uk’otoa behind them. Whilst he had been waiting for some sort of retribution for his betrayal. When it had finally happened, however briefly. And now. Now that he had cast the sword and with it, likely any chance of his powers returning… 

He had been too afraid to ask all those times before. Too afraid to admit to having lost his powers at all, even temporarily. He had looked instead for a miracle, and perhaps, yet he might find one but… if he had learnt anything in the last few months it was that there were no guarantees in this world and that he wanted so much to be able to protect these people he now called family. 

As excuses went for checking up on him, it really wasn’t the worst idea. Trust Caleb to come up with something so pragmatic and yet so exactly what Fjord really needed right now.

Caleb was staring at him, he realised suddenly, lost to his own thoughts for a moment. Why was he staring? He shook his head, remembering the reason for Caleb’s arrival. An offer to teach him magic. 

“Is that… possible?”

Fjord had never had any inkling of magical ability prior to waking up on that beach, he had, still a very limited understanding of magic in general. 

Caleb shrugged, “I do not see why not,” he said, “I cannot say how successful it will be, but there is no reason I know why you should not be able to learn at least a little,”

Fjord wouldn’t lie to himself. The idea was tempting. He had watched with what he knew was entirely unconcealed amazement at the things Caleb was capable of doing. Of the power he was able to produce, not because some eldritch being, or god, saw fit to bless him but because he had dedicated himself to learning and improving. If he could do that… Earn a little of his own power for once.

“If you are not interested I can leave you…”

“No, I’m interested!” 

Caleb blinked, probably a little taken aback by the forcefulness of Fjord’s response. Fjord was taken aback himself, perhaps a little more curious than he’d even been admitting to himself.

“That is uh… Thank you, for the offer, that would be great,” he coughed and Caleb gave him a slightly strange look, but otherwise didn’t comment; just nodded and gestured into the room, looking for permission. Fjord practically stumbled backwards, one arm swinging out in welcome.

There was a small desk in a corner of the room that Fjord had previously barely taken note of, but which Caleb gravitated towards like some strange force was pulling him in. The paper and ink he piled on one side, the spellbook he laid carefully down in the centre. Fjord had to admit he felt weirdly honoured that he was going to be allowed to look at it up close. Caleb had already seated himself in front of it, and Fjord moved to hover slightly awkwardly at his side.

There was silence for a few seconds, aside from the turning of pages, as Caleb started flicking back and forth through the book, probably looking for the simplest of spells to start Fjord off with. However, when he settled on a page and, after a brief hesitation, slowly pushed the book to the side so Fjord had a better view of it, Fjord noted that it didn’t look even remotely simple. Lines were scattered all across the paper, along with symbols and letters that meant absolutely nothing to him. The longer he stared at it the more his head started to hurt.

“What do you make of it?” asked Caleb, and Fjord felt panic rising in his chest. Was he supposed to know any of this? Did Caleb expect him to have some knowledge of it just based on the fact that he had possessed magic? Did most magic users just inherently know this stuff?

“Um…” he blinked, stared at the page again, trying to draw on something, anything, that might make any sense of what he was seeing. He could feel Caleb watching him closely, which wasn’t helping, and he couldn’t help but glance at him out of the corner of his eye. As he met Caleb’s gaze he saw the faintest glimmer of a smile pass across his face; a slight glint in his eye that was reminiscent of Jester in the most bizarre way. Fjord frowned, pursing his lips.

“You’re screwing with me,” he said and Caleb let out a small, breathy laugh, pulling the book back. Fjord shook his head.

“Asshole,”

“We’ll start a little easier, ja?”

“If that isn’t too much trouble,”

\----

Two hours passed by in which Caleb laid out the fundamentals of the light spell he was so fond of. Fjord hadn’t tried to cast it yet. According to Caleb, it was important to understand how and why it worked before you should actually try casting it, otherwise things could go; Caleb had said ‘wrong’ but the way he’d said it made Fjord determined to concentrate. At first it had still all looked like nonsense, although far less complex nonsense than whatever that first spell had been; but Caleb was patient, and a good teacher. He walked him through each section of the page, what it represented, what it controlled within the spell. Explained the need for high quality paper and ink, and why he needed to keep the spellbook safe and close to him at all times. It was the first time Fjord had heard most of that. He’d always sort of assumed Caleb just cared about his books a lot. It hadn’t occurred to him that Caleb’s magic was tied to them so intricately.

They swapped places, and Fjord went through several pieces of low grade paper and ink, first copying out each different symbol individually, then trying to replicate the first section of the full spell. It was tricky work. The symbols were intricate, small and some of them looked so similar to each other it was almost impossible to tell them apart. Each time he’d get so far in and start feeling he was getting the hang of it, he’d smudge something beyond recognition, or his hand would slip and put a long line of ink where it shouldn’t be. He suspected Caleb must be getting frustrated with him, but if that was the case he was doing an excellent job of hiding it. Each time Fjord messed up beyond hope of repair, a new piece of paper appeared in front of him, and Caleb would quietly explain what could be improved.

Finally, after almost two hours of trying, he’d completed the first section, with only a few minor mistakes that he could see. Pushing it forward a little to admire, he found he was too happy to have completed it to worry how long it had taken, or that there were about eight other sections on the page he’d been copying from.

“It’s good,” he heard Caleb say, practically in his ear, and he jumped as he realised he was leaning over his shoulder. He had gone back to reading another book an hour ago whilst Fjord worked, checking in every few minutes to see if he needed help. “Sorry,” Caleb drew back, “I startled you.”

Fjord bit the inside of his cheek the best he could without being conspicuous about it and shook his head. “No, it’s okay, I was just… In the moment,”

“It can be very engaging,” replied Caleb absently, taking and laying Fjord’s work next to his own. Fjord frowned a little. Looking at them side by side made all the flaws stand out so much more. Caleb’s handwriting was so fine and elegant, his own looked almost childlike in comparison.

“Yeah it uh… I see why you get lost in it sometimes,” he said, watching as Caleb’s eyes flicked back and forth over both pieces of paper. He coughed. “It’s uh, a little messy,” 

Caleb looked at him like he was mad, “Of course it is,” he said, as if that were obvious, as if there had never been any doubt in his mind that someone like Fjord would be able to produce anything else. Fjord felt the comment like a knife in the chest. Of course. Of course it was.

It must have shown on his face, because Caleb’s eyes widened slightly, looking more than a little mortified. 

“Ah! No… That’s not. Uh.” He stammered, and pushed the book away from him, his hands danced nervously in front of him for a few moments, back and forth and back and forth until finally he settled on a direction and reached out to place them on Fjord’s arm, where it lay on the table. “Fjord.” He said, catching Fjord’s eye properly, “I. I apologise. That came out very bluntly. What I meant was that, you are just beginning to learn. If your copying were not somewhat messy you would have to be some sort of prodigy.”

“Like you?” Fjord asked quietly, glancing over at the spell book. He felt Caleb’s fingers tighten slightly on his arm, and his heart did that irritating little flutter it did when he wasn’t properly paying attention to not letting it.

“Nein, not like me,” Caleb replied, matching his quiet tone, “My book…” one hand left Fjord and reached out to dance lightly across the open pages of the spellbook, “It’s the work of a lot of hours, of years of study and practise when I was… when I was young. Hours of messing up and having to start over again. I had… an advantage I suppose. I can keep things in my head longer than most people, it means that I find it a little easier perhaps to put them down again on paper. But I am no prodigy Fjord. I’m really not.”

Fjord looked back up at him, and realised quite suddenly how close he was. He could see distinctly the freckles that dotted his nose, the slightest flecks of grey in blue eyes. He looked sincere. He believed what he was saying.

“You don’t know do you?” Fjord heard himself say, and Caleb’s face scrunched slightly in confusion. How impressive you are… how talented. How incredible it is that you take these lines on a page and use them to protect us all. Nobody ever gave you anything, you built it all for yourself with your mind and your hands. He swallowed the words and shook his head, leaning back a little. Caleb mirrored him, and his other hand fell away and onto the table. Fjord mourned that but let it go. “Nothing, sorry, I was just... “ he shook his head again, “Getting down on myself I suppose. You know how you feel like you should just be able to do something, the first time?”

Caleb nodded, his eyes flickering away in that way that he did when he thought about his past. Fjord winced. Rage bubbling deep in his chest as it did when he thought about Caleb’s past.

“So uh. Step two?”

“How about you take a break,” said Caleb, “Your hand will start to cramp soon,”

Fjord flexed his hand out, already feeling the tightness there and acquiesced. 

“Besides, I think Jester said something about checking in with you, before bed,”

\---

Jester arrived not more than a few minutes later. Caleb was perched on the edge of the bed with his book once more. Fjord was bent over the spellbook flicking through the pages and seeing if he could guess the spell from the small amount of knowledge he had now gained. He was pretty sure he’d just found the firebolt spell when she crashed through the door with no warning. 

“Hey guess who!” 

Some day very soon they were going to have a very long and serious talk about knocking. He looked up from the book to deliberately raise an eyebrow at her, and found she was already doing the same to him.

“Wow you two are so boring,” she said, shaking her head and kicking the door closed behind her. 

“Unless you hadn’t noticed Jester, there’s not an awful lot to be doing around here,”

She rolled her eyes as she put a tray down beside him; and he carefully scooted Caleb’s spellbook out of the way. The tray had two small plates of food, two metal cups and a jug of water, and any irritation he’d felt at her practically knocking his door off its hinges melted away to his more usual fondness.

“Maybe you’re just not using your imagination Fjord,” she replied with a wink. Part of him wanted to ask what that meant. The other, slightly more sensible part advised strongly against it. 

Caleb for his part, had placed his book down and was wandering over to the desk.

“How are the others doing?” he asked, taking one of the plates of food from the tray and retreating back to the bed again.

“Oh you know, it’s all sort of been really boring and everything without you two…”

“Jes…” Fjord, caught her eye. She scrunched up her face for a second, looking momentarily guilty, then gave up and launched into how she and Beau had gotten involved in some card game with a group of locals.

“... And I knew that they were totally cheating anyway so I maybe cast just a few little spells and maybe Nott was sat behind a couple of them… don’t look at me like that Fjord! I told you they were cheating too!” Jester stuck her tongue out at him, “Anyway we kicked their butts and got all their money so there,”

“Sounds like you are all having fun,” said Caleb, and Jester’s smile dimmed just a little. 

“Oh you know, it was okay,” she said, picking at her skirt a little, “It would have been way more fun if you two had been there you know,”

Fjord took pity on her. After all he’d been the one to excuse himself early, choosing to try and shut himself away.

“Seems to me you all had it covered. Wouldn’t have been much for us to do but watch,” he said,

“Besides we have made use of our time up here,” said Caleb, gesturing at his book, where Fjord’s own attempt at copying a spell still lay out in the open. He felt a sudden urge to grab it and… eat it? Hide it? Too late though, because Jester’s quick eyes zeroed in on it immediately.

“You did this Fjord?” her hand shot out to pick up the piece of paper, and she peered at it intently. Fjord felt his cheeks heat up slightly, still very aware of his mistakes, despite what Caleb had said. Jester just grinned however. “It’s really good!” she said, and she waved it in Caleb’s face, nearly knocking the fork full of food he had onto the floor, “Isn’t it really good Caleb,”

“Ah, ja, it’s very impressive,”

“Are you going to be a wizard now too?” asked Jester.

“He could be,” Caleb replied, as Fjord said “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,”

Caleb caught his eye for a moment, a strange sort of look on his face, but it passed almost as soon as it happened, and he went back to his food.

Jester stayed another half an hour, chattering away about the rest of the people they had met at the inn. The place was rather nice compared to some of their previous lodgings, and apparently everyone was either very gruff, or incredibly wealthy and very snooty and Caduceus had more than once already had to stop Beau from punching the particularly obnoxious young man whose room was next to hers and Jesters; meanwhile Nott had amassed quite the collection of baubles and trinkets from all the grumpy people she could find. It was interesting to hear just how many grumpy people also happened to be incredibly wealthy, but Fjord supposed if they were staying at places like this on a frequent basis, they’d probably not miss the odd item of jewellery for long.

He was rather sad to see her go in the end, but it was starting to get late, and one particularly long yawn she hadn’t been able to suppress had convinced her she really should head to sleep.

“I’m sorry,” said Caleb, a few moments after the door had swung closed behind her, and the sound of her humming to herself had faded away.

Fjord blinked, and looked around at him. “Huh?”

“I ah. I know that I can be fairly dull company,” Caleb 

“What? No that’s not…” Fjord sighed, leaning back in his chair, “Honestly I think this was exactly what I needed right now,” Caleb raised an eyebrow at him, and Fjord scrunched his face a little in annoyance, he’d never been able to do that, he either raised both or looked like he was squinting.

“I think… I needed to be doing something. Actually doing something not just, waiting for it to be done for me, or handed to me,” he elaborated, and Caleb was quiet for a moment before nodding.

“In that case… would you like to try and get a little more done? Before turning in?”

\---

Fjord’s head hit the table with a thud.

He registered the pain, and was perfectly aware that he would likely have an imprint of the portion of spell that his forehead was currently flat against, but he didn’t move. 

“Not going well?” he heard Caleb ask. With a deep breath in, he lifted his head, the paper coming with him for a few moments before coming loose and floating back to the table. The last half hours work smeared across the page beyond all recognition.

“How do you do this?” he groaned, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes as Caleb reached across to pick up the page. 

“Well,” he said, after a moment, “Generally I do not wipe all the ink on my forehead,”

“Ha ha,”

Fjord heard him walking away, then as he returned there was a scrape of wood against stone as he pulled the little table that sat beside the bed up next to Fjords chair and perched on it, close enough that as he sat down Fjord could feel him right there. His breath caught for a moment, and he was seriously starting to rethink this whole endeavour. He’d always found being alone with Caleb to be somewhat… intense was possibly the best way to describe it. There always seemed to be an undercurrent of, something, something he had never dared to look too closely at.

“Here,” he heard Caleb say and he opened one eye to find him looking up at him expectantly, a pale damp cloth in hand. Fjord rolled his eyes and looked back up at the ceiling.

“It’s fine, leave it there, it can mark my failure,”

“So dramatic,” 

The next thing he knew Caleb was standing above him and reaching out with the cloth himself. Fjord spluttered at the sudden movement and pulled back so sharply that his own chair toppled, knocking into Caleb’s legs and down they both went.

He half expected Jester to walk back in. Because frankly that was all this situation needed - an audience. Especially one who had probably read this exact scenario twenty times in twenty different overdramatic and ridiculous romance novels. He didn’t know how it usually went down after this part, but he suspected it was a little less awkward and a lot less painful for the characters than it was in real life. His back hurt like hell and Caleb had landed directly in the middle of his chest, elbow first, so Fjord was now wheezing and coughing as well.

“Ouf,” 

He managed to peel his eyes open through the pain to see Caleb, now lying to one side of him, holding his head and blinking rapidly.

“Sorry,” he muttered, “You startled me,”

“Ja, same,”

“Sorry…”

Caleb shook his head and shifted up onto one elbow, “Did I hit you, I felt like I hit you?”  
“Only a little,” said Fjord, trying to force his voice to behave and not come out sounding as winded as he was, “I’m fine, how’s your head?”

“Oh, you know me, I can take a hit,”

Fjord didn’t really mean to laugh, it just sort of came out, but Caleb didn’t look like he minded too much. 

He lowered his head back to the ground, tucking an arm underneath it, still chuckling, and gazing up at the ceiling.

“I think this is supposed to be the part where we kiss, not trade battle scars” he said offhandedly.

That was met with silence, and he glanced to the side, his heart speeding up a little in his chest. Caleb was sat up now, and looking down at him, brows furrowed and almost apprehensive. Fjord swallowed. 

“I uh, sorry I was just thinkin’ about Jester’s… novels, you know. All that overdramatic, swoony stuff.” He looked away from Caleb as he said it, it was best not to dwell. He pushed himself up and onto his feet, reaching an arm down to help Caleb, trying and failing not to let his thoughts linger on the feeling of calloused fingertips around his forearm as he pulled him to his feet; and wasn’t that just becoming a habit between them.

They were still close, like this, and Caleb made no immediate move to let go or move away. 

"Thank you," Fjord heard himself saying, quietly, and Caleb blinked at him in that slightly incredulous manner he often did.  
“For what, winding you?”

Fjord laughed.

“Just, for this,” he said gesturing at the spellbook and his own work, “I don’t know if it will ever work for me, but it’s something,”

“It will work Fjord, you’re more capable I think, than you realise,”

“Yeah. Back at’cha,” he said, feeling the drawl slip seamlessly into his words and wincing slightly. It was odd, to find talking in your own accent unnatural. “I’m sure that I've never told you in so many words just how much I admire you.” he added and Caleb frowned a little, as he ever did when he was paid a compliment he felt he didn’t deserve; which by Fjord’s count was almost all of them.

“I’m not someone to admire Fjord,”

“That’s not true. What you can do. What you've overcome. You know I told Caduceus last night that he inspired me but honestly I admire all of you. Beau’s compassion and strength. Jester’s unfailing cheer and how she looks after everyone. Everything Nott has done for her family, and for us too. You…” He didn’t even know where to start really, “I look at you all, and I feel so unworthy of knowing you. You're all so strong.”

“Fjord!” The grip Caleb still had on his arm tightened, “What you did that night. That was strong. It was something many people could not have done. Something I was not able to do. You had the chance of power and prestige beyond anything we might even be able to imagine, and you said no because to get it required something terrible. I did not make that same call,”

“You were a child Caleb.” said Fjord, returning the pressure on Caleb’s arm.

Something flickered in his eyes, it looked a little like pity, and he gave him a small sad smile.

“Ja, but there are some things…” he shook his head, “Another time. Now is not about me,”

They stood there quietly for several moments. Neither making any move to let go of the other or put any more space between them.

“What made you do it… in the end?” asked Caleb, his voice low.

“I don’t know really,” he replied, “I suppose, part of me honestly thought I could, I don’t know, bluff my way into putting a stop to those constant threats and demands. That perhaps if I scared it a little, made it think it was going to lose me for good, that it’d give up and let me move to my own timescale… and nothing happened. I suddenly realised, it was never going to let me go. Not even if I did what it wanted. I could release this awful dangerous being into the world, just like the Laughing Hand, and I still wouldn’t be free, and I… I didn’t want to be a prisoner anymore.”

Caleb's grip loosened as he spoke, sliding his hand gently down Fjord’s arm. His fingers lingered a moment at his hand, turning it over.

“So you threw your sword into a pit of lava,” he said,

“Yeah…”

"Sometimes you have to get a little crazy," Caleb’s fingers danced lightly over the scar on his palm and Fjord felt his breath catch a moment in his throat.

"Yeah. Though that one was perhaps a little too impulsive," 

"We seem to be good at that."

Caleb’s head was slightly bowed, strands of red hair, come free from the ponytail he had taken to wearing recently, fell around his face. His expression was soft and fond, not an unknown sight but a rare one. Fjord felt suddenly very aware of his own heartbeat, loud and fast within his chest. He wasn’t going mad now was he? Caleb shifted a little, gaze still fixed on Fjord’s upturned palm. There was something here, wasn’t there?

What the hell right? He’d thrown caution to just about every other wind this week. What was one more, especially when it took the form of him and Caleb, alone; for once no barriers between them. Just honesty and trust and appreciation. 

He reached out his free hand to brush the strands of hair out from Caleb’s face, to behind his ear, letting it rest there. In the same movement he shifted forwards, leaning down stopping just short of pressing his lips to Caleb’s. He felt the hand on his tighten slightly as Caleb froze, and he froze along with him. His eyes flicked to Caleb’s, trying desperately to read them, wide as they now were. Surprise, certainly. Confusion too. Perhaps even a hint of fear, but not of Fjord. His pupils were blown, his breath already sped up, Fjord could feel it brushing across his skin.

“Fjord.” his voice came out a little choked and he swallowed, “You’re not…”

“I swear to all the gods Caleb if you say ‘not yourself’ I’ll throw you out of that window,” It was an utterly empty threat, and they probably both knew it. Caleb licked his lips in a way that had to be unconscious; surely he wasn’t so cruel.

“I was going to say you’re not in the best frame of mind to be making… more impulsive decisions,” 

Fjord laughed, with only a hint of hysteria, “When has that ever stopped either of us? Besides I feel like making impulsive decisions has been the order of the day recently,” he replied, letting his hand circle to the back of Caleb’s neck, his wrist sliding easily through Caleb’s loose grip, and enjoying the slight sensation of a shiver the movement invoked in him.

“Fjord…”

“Caleb,” he moved slowly, ever closer, watched Caleb swallow again as their lips brushed feather light for just a moment. “I’ll stop. If you want me to. I will,” he didn’t know how, but he would, for Caleb. 

In the end, Caleb came to meet him. Surging forwards almost violently; at least with enough force to make Fjord stumble back a step. Caleb went with him, hands falling away from Fjord’s wrists to grip at his shoulders instead. Maybe it was Fjord’s imagination but the very air around them seemed suddenly to crackle with energy. Caleb’s lips almost burned on his. If he’d had the presence of mind to care, he might have felt embarrassed at the deep rumbling sound that emanated from him as Caleb brought them chest to chest. Perhaps Caleb felt it, or perhaps he was as lost as Fjord, for he gave an answering gasp into his mouth a moment later; a sound that Fjord was certain he was going to remember for the rest of his life.

Off balance and determined not to be left behind, Fjord’s hands found purchase around Caleb’s waist, drawing him closer still, and turning them enough that one, two, three steps forwards put the back of Caleb’s knees against the bed. One of Caleb’s hands curled upwards to tangle lightly in Fjord’s hair, ensuring he would follow as he was lowered down the mattress. Fjord, now leaning over, pulled back just a fraction for a moment to take in the sight of Caleb laid out beneath him, lips reddened and hair fanned around him; at some point Fjord must have undone his ponytail but he couldn’t for a thousand gold remember it happening. The moment passed and he pressed his lips to Caleb’s once more, a surge of something like pride shooting through his whole body when Caleb opened up for him without pause or protest. 

He felt deft clever fingers beginning to work on the uppermost buttons of his shirt and as they finished their handiwork he shucked it off with as much grace as he was capable of whilst most of his attention was focused on having just found a section of skin beneath Caleb’s right ear that drew an exquisite sound from him when the edge of his newly growing tusks brushed against it. One of Caleb’s arms found its way around his side and around. There was the faintest of pauses as Fjord noted that he must have found the raised scarred skin that littered his back; courtesy of Sabien blowing up their ship and throwing Fjord to the mercy of Uk’otoa in the first place. For that half second, Fjord thought he might stop, might pull away, might run. Instead his other hand wound around Fjord’s body, both now pulling him close, Caleb’s head turning upwards to press an impossibly gentle kiss just below his chin. Fjord responded, recapturing his lips with his own.

“Caduceus and Nott are going to wonder where I am,” he almost felt the words more than heard them, for they were practically whispered against him.

“Thought you were here to keep an eye on me,” he replied, pulling back a little, “Are you going to abandon me now?”

A wry smile formed on Caleb’s face.

“Who said that’s why I’m here?” he asked, and laughed when Fjord raised an eyebrow at him, “Beau, Jester and Nott were concerned,”

“Not you?”

“Caduceus and I trusted that you would not have done something so decisive to then turn around and waste it,” said Caleb.

“Oh I don’t know, I’m told I’m very impulsive,”

“I suppose that is true,”

“Who knows what I might do if you were to leave me alone,” he found that spot below Caleb’s ear again, nipping at it lightly and then pressing his lips to it.

“Mmm,” Caleb shifted a little beneath him, “That doesn’t bare thinking about,”

“It would be incredibly irresponsible,”

“Practically negligence really,” 

Caleb pulled him in to kiss him properly again, and they didn’t speak much more for some time.

**Author's Note:**

> Depending how canon ends up going this may end up a series idk... This was way angstier when I first planned it but then it was going to be super long so hey... Maybe we can save the angst for another day.


End file.
